Device for locating shipwrecks.



No. 735,595. PATENTED AUG. 4, 1903.

R. SATO. DEVICE FOR LOGATING SHIPWRECKS. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 31,1902. RENEWED APR. 6, 1903.

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UNITED STATES Patented August 4', 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.-

DEVICE FOR LOCATIN'G SHIPWRECKS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of letters Patent No. 735,595, dated August4, 1903. Application filed January 31, 1902. Renewed April 6, 1903.Serial No. 151,412. (No model.)

10 00M whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUJI SATO, of the city and county of San Francisco,State of California, have invented a new and useful Device for LocatingShipwrecks, &c., of which the following is a specification. g

This invention aims to provide a practical and improved device forlocating shipwrecks or for designating the position of valuable jetsamor other objects submerged in water at unknown or varying depths.

It comprises a float or buoy, a cable or other strong flexible line ofindefinite length connecting the buoy with the vessel or submerged"object, a reel or other apparatus by which this line is convenientlypaid out or rewound, and means, asa self-adjusting clamp or check, forautomatically meting out the line or cable to accommodate the depth atwhich the object is submerged, as well as the gravitation thereof andthe buoyancyof the float, all of which will be hereinafter explained indetail.

The accompanying drawings are integral herewith as means ofillustration, in which I employ like reference characters to designatelike or analogous parts in the sevoralfigures. Figure 1 presents a formof my invention in side elevation, showing a cylindrical buoy, anelongated reel from which the cable is antomatically paid out,anda-bank-safe attached to the free end of the cable as if in the act ofdescending into the water. The water-line is indicated by 0c 00. Fig. 2shows in plan a simple form of a cable-clamp or spring-check used withmy invention Figs. 3 andA. are bottom and top views, respectively, ofthis check closed and without the cable. Fig. 5

is a sectional elevation of the same check.

Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively a plan and a cross-section of a modifiedform of the said check. Fig. Sis an end elevation of the formof myinvention of which Fig. 1 is a side elevation. Fig. 9 is an invertedplan intended to illustrate a protective covering for my reel and itsembracing cable. Fig. 10 is a trans verse section of this covering,showing reel containing a socket for holding the modified check shown inFig. 6. Fig. 12 is a sectional elevation of this check-bar, givingdetail.

Since clearly there is no limit to the forms which my invention may bemade toassume,

Fig. 11 is a plan of a bar it will evidently be sufficient to explainits principles by the elongated horizontally-disposed cylindrical formillustrated in Figs. 1 and 8.

The principal parts of my invention are the above-mentioned float 0rbuoy A, line or cable B, reel C, and check D. The reel comprises a spool(designated by C) and a mounting-frame C which frame consists of a baror strip of metal, hickory, or other suitable material bent somewhat inthe form of a rectangle, as shown, and disposed when in use with sideshorizontal and ends vertical. This frame thus disposed is secured by itstwo ends-and upper side or. by flanges of its two ends to the buoy A. Inthese two ends of the frame are fitted the journals C of the reel. 1have shown the frame 0* secured to the top of the buoy A as well as atits ends and provided with sockets C as a means of securing to each oreither end thereof a flag or other signal and holding it in erectposition to better facilitate the locating of the submerged object or toattract the attention of passing vessels. Centrally in the lower side ofthe frame C and beneath the coil of to admit of the proper passage ofthe said cable or line Bin performance of its function.

In Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 I have illustrated my simple spring-clamp forchecking the downward passage of the line B. This clamp or line-checkcomprises an integral portion D of the lower part of the reel-frame Cwhich portion D is made witha vertically-disposed longitudinal slot Darranged centrally as to the bottom side of said frame, and having anaperture D in the middle for the line B, but somewhat smaller indiameter than that of theline. In Fig. 2 a section of the line B is seenin position with the slot D opened to admit of its freeinsertion. Thisillustrates the action of the clamp, which is by the springpressure ofthe sundered parts. The line B,

as suggested, being larger than'the aperture D holds the parts on bothsides of the slot D asunder, which by their elasticity or tendency toreturn to normal press against the line and retard its descent. It ismanifest that if the line were not retarded in its descent by some clampor checking device it would not cease unreeling when the descend-'cable' B the line-check D is arranged so as ing object thereto attachedreached the bottom, but would continue uncoiling until the said linewere all unwound, actuated by its own weight and by the action of thesea against the buoy A. Therefore the function of the check D is toprevent this uncoiling tendency after the wreckage or jetsam has reachedits soundings. The form and buoyancy of the lioatA and the spring forceof this line-check D are made to accommodate the force of the wavesagainst the sides of the buoy as well as the weight of the descendingbody-that is to say, the form of the buoy A and the spring force of thecheck D are such as to hold the line B from further uncoiling by theaction of the seas against the surface of the buoy after the object tobe h located has reached the bottom, While it ad- 'mits of this objectdescending by its own weight aided more or less by the vibration of thefloat by wave action, which causes the float to rise and fall, therebydrawing upon the line B and away from the descending object suspendedthereby, whereby the unwinding of the line is facilitated. Theline-aperture D is somewhat funnel-shaped with up.- per edges rounded,as best seen in Figs. 4 and 5, to obviate abrasion in the downwardpassage of the line B.

For recoiliug the line B on the reel C or for hauling up the jettison orWreckage I would apply a crank to the outer end of each one of thejournals C It is a known fact that the gravitation of a submerged objectis its weight minus the Weight of the water displaced thereby. The linetherefore for va1uable cases of jettison or wreckage, such as bullion,would be provided sufliciently strong to raise the object to whichattached. For thus raising the object the combination of buoy and reelwould be first taken aboard the vessel making the salvage and the lineor cable 13 removed from the check D by severing it, or the spring ofthe check would be wedged out of compression, so as to admit of the freeupward passage of the cable. The object could then be hauled up andshipped aboard. Where the device simply indicates the location of thewreckage to which the line B is secured, the divers would be guided tothe vessel by following the line down. In Fig. 1 I have shown anordinary safe E suspended from the reel 0 to illustrate the doublefunction of my invention, such as for private or other uses, both forlocating and hauling up the submerged object.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate another springclamp or line-check of aninterchangeable and wheel-like form, and Figs. 11 and 12 show themountings therefor. As to the forms of line-check which I have hereinshown let it be here understood that since the number and variety ofsuch line-checking devices are limitless I anticipate hereby everypossible form of line-check for the purposes herein. This check, Figs. 6and 7, comprises two sets of springs F F, F F, each pair oppositelydisposed with relation to the line B, which is placed between them. Thesprings F sustain at their inner ends or are integral with semi bearingsor boxes F (one to each,) which parts are disposed oppositely for thereception and clamping of the intervening line B. The other springs Fpress against the springs F as supplemental thereto. The opposing halfbearings or boxes F3 may mesh into each other laterally, or one mayoverlap the other, as shown in Fig. 6. These springs FF constitute thespokes, as it were, of a wheel-like or disk-formed device, of which thebearings F and an exterior rim F are the hub and fellies or tire,respectively. This provides an interchangeable line-check foradj ustingpurposes, since the springs F F can be made of dilferent forces andinterchangeable, and, moreover, the entire disk check can be removedfrom its mounting, Figs. 11 and 12, to be next referred to.

In Figs. 11 and 12, G represents the like integral check-containing partof the frame C as is shown in Figs. 2 to 5 and there marked D, or it maybe a separable part from the frame C and fastened thereto in anysuitable manner. As illustrated in these Figs. 11 and 12, however, thepart G is an integral part of the lower side of the frame 0 and containsa socket G for the reception of the clamp detailed in Figs. 6 and 7.This interchangeable clamp or line-check when inserted in its socket Gis held securely therein by a capplate G which is bolted to thesocket-bearing bar or central portion of the reel-frame O Suitableperforations are provided, as at G in both the bar G and plate G to letpass the line B to and from its check or clamp.

To protect the line B, I provide a watertight tubular covering orline-case H, Figs. 9 and 10, of which Fig. 9 is an inverted or bottomview and has parts removed to show detail and the within-lying cable 13,and Fig. 10 is a cross-section of same. In these figures the spring-barforming the check D is shown as if bolted to the inner surface of thecase H; but it may be on the outside instead of the inside of the case,if preferred. The several openings provided in the case H for the cableand reel-journals are suitably packed or boxed, as will be understood.This line-protecting case H, however, is quite dispensable for most ofthe uses to which the invention may be put.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. A device of the kind described comprising a buoy, a line of suitablelength carried thereby attachable to an object exposed to be submerged,and a line-check carried by the V buoy and arranged to be engaged by theline when unwinding, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A device of the kind described comprising a buoy, a line of desirablelength connected therewith designed for attachment to an object exposedto submersion, means for automatically paying out said line according tothe depth of water into which the object may descend and a line-checkcarried by the buoy and arranged to be engaged by the line whenunwinding, substantially as set forth.

3. A device of the kind described comprising a reel with a convenientlength of line adapted for fastening to an object exposed to besubmerged, abuoy carrying said reel and line, and a line-check carriedby the buoy and arranged to be engaged by the line when unwinding,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. A device of the kind described comprising a reel and line designedfor attachment to an object exposed to submersion, a buoy connectedtherewith, means for .meting out the line in proportion as the objectmay be come submerged, and a line-check carried by the buoy and arrangedto be engaged bythe line when unwinding, substantially as set forth.

5. A device of the kind described comprising a buoy, a reel suspendedtherefrom, a line wound on said reel attachable to an object exposed tobe submerged, and a line-check arranged to be engaged by the line whenunwinding, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. A device of the kind described comprising a reel with aline ofsuitable length securable to an object exposed to be submerged, a buoy,a frame for supporting said reel and line from said buoy, and aline-check carried by the buoy and arranged to be engaged by the linewhen unwinding, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. A device of the kind described comprising a buoy, a reel and line ofsuitable length attachable to an object exposed to be submerged andsecured to said buoy, a protective covering for the line on the reel anda line-check carried by the buoy and arranged to be engaged by the linewhen unwinding, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. A device of the-kind described comprising a buoy, a line of suitablelength carried thereby attachable to an object exposed to be submerged,and a line-check carried by the buoy and arranged to be engaged by theline when unwinding, said line-check comprising an elongatedspring-clamp provided with a longitudinal slot the greatest width ofwhich is less than the diameter of the line and through which said linepasses and is retarded in its passage; substantially as described.

9. A device of the kind described comprising a buoy, a reel carriedthereby, a line wound on said reel attachable to an object exposed to besubmerged, and a line-check disposed centrally beneath said reel andarranged to be engaged by the line when unwinding; substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

RUJI SATO. n s.]

\Vitnesses:

GoRo. HOMMA, A. H. STE. MARIE.

